New York University Scholar Examines Teacher Racial Bias and Academic Expectations

A study by Hua-Yu Sebastian Cherng, an assistant professor of international education at the Steinhardt School of Culture, Education, and Human Development at New York University, finds that public school English and mathematics teachers tend to underestimate the academic abilities of African Americans and other students of color and this tends to impact their grades.

Dr. Cherng examined survey data from 10,000 high school sophomores and their teachers. He found that both math and English teachers were more likely to perceive their class as too difficult for students of color compared to White students, even after controlling for standardized test scores, homework completion, and a host of other factors. The greatest gap was found for Black students; more than twice the percentage of math and English teachers reported that their class is too difficult, compared to White students.

Dr. Cherng said “based on my analysis, teachers underestimating their students’ abilities actually causes students to have lower academic expectations of themselves, meaning that they expected they would complete less school. This was particularly harmful among Black students.”

The full study, “If They Think I Can: Teacher Bias and Youth of Color Expectations and Achievement,” was published on the website of the journal Social Science Research. it may be accessed here.

SaveSave

Related Articles

Leave a Reply

Get the JBHE Weekly Bulletin

Receive our weekly email newsletter delivered to your inbox

Latest News

California State University Sacramento Launches Black Honors College

Officially launching for the fall 2024 semester, the Black Honors College will support students from all backgrounds who study Black history, life, and culture by providing them with a specialized curriculum and mentoring opportunities.

Higher Education Gifts or Grants of Interest to African Americans

Here is this week’s news of grants or gifts to historically Black colleges and universities or for programs of particular interest to African Americans in higher education.

In Memoriam: Norman B. Anderson, 1955-2024

Dr. Anderson was the assistant vice president for research and academic affairs at Florida State University at the time of his death. He had an extensive career in clinical psychology, which led him to become the first African American chief executive officer of the American Psychological Association.

Georgia State University Launches Program to Support Black Women in Tech

While Black women account for roughly 29 percent of the Georgia State University undergradaute student body, they represent only 10 percent of the university's computer science majors and 18 percent of the computer information systems majors.

Featured Jobs